


The Scribe's Solution

by Lumelle



Series: The Comforted King [3]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 21:59:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9092347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumelle/pseuds/Lumelle
Summary: Neither Ori nor Fíli are happy with the various suitors pursuing them both. Thankfully, Ori has the perfect solution to the problem.





	

"So what's this I hear about broken arms?"

"Don't even start." Ori glared at Fíli as he marched into the room, but there was no actual heat behind his gaze, so Fíli felt more or less safe in continuing to grin at him. "Whatever I did, I have no regrets about it."

"Oh, I wasn't about to suggest you should have any." Far it be from Fíli to be the one to oppose a Ri on the warpath. He wasn't quite suicidal enough for that, thank you. "I was only curious, that's all. You aren't exactly the first one to come to mind when I hear about violent outbursts."

"Yes, well, things can be different when I have to deal with absolute idiots." Ori sighed, coming to a halt next to Fíli's desk and dropping the stack of documents he had been carrying in front of Fíli. It wasn't as big as it could have been, Fíli knew that well enough. Ori never let it get too big nowadays, what with Thorin having mentioned once or twice that it might be good for someone to make sure Fíli didn't let himself get too exhausted from his duties. "You know, such as the kind who think they have the right to put their hands where they will."

"What?" Fíli frowned. This was not something he had heard about before. "What happened?"

"Nothing that much worse than what I deal with every day." And that was supposed to make Fíli feel better? "I was in the library, helping go through the shelves to find anything that can be restored. One of the Iron Hills nobles came by and got a little bit too familiar."

"Give me their name." Perhaps Fíli sounded just a bit murderous, but that could surely be excused. This was clearly grounds for fury.

"Why? I made it very clear I didn't appreciate his hand at the spot he was trying to put it, and when he didn't agree, I made sure it wouldn't go wandering any time soon. I can handle myself, you know."

"I didn't say you can't! Just that this sort of thing should be snipped in the bud."

"And I did just that." Ori shook his head. "Not that he seemed to agree, of course. He actually threatened to report me to the guards, can you imagine? Claimed I was assaulting a noble and he would have my head for it."

"That's just ridiculous." And dangerous, if there was any more of that sort of mindset going around the mountain. "He was the one assaulting you, if indeed he touched you without your consent. You were only defending yourself."

"Yes, well, he seemed to think that his being a noble changed that equation."

"Then he is wrong." And Fíli would make sure he knew that. "And if that is true, that's all the more reason you should give me his name. I do not want that sort of ideas in the mountain, and I know Thorin won't stand for it, either. He'll be all too happy to make an example of this idiot."

"An example of what? If you have him punished, people will only think you did it because I'm one of the Company, not because he broke the law. And if you really mean to start dragging all such people in front of the court, you'll be quite busy, believe me."

"Is it that big a problem, then?" It seemed hard to believe, but Fíli wasn't about to accuse Ori of lying on the matter.

"The wandering hands? No, thankfully, he is the first one in Erebor to have gone that far in his advances. But he is certainly not the only one to show me more interest than I appreciate, and that's not going to change, no matter how many arms I break and how many crimes you punish. There will always be someone who is absolutely convinced that I will be interested if it's them and not everyone else, because surely they are richer and nobler and more charming and altogether more desirable than all my previous suitors."

"You have a lot of them, then? Suitors."

"I am a Ri, we are considered beautiful." There was no bragging in Ori's voice, just a simple statement. "Even back in Ered Luin, when we were barely scraping by and shadowed by Nori's reputation, Dori had a more or less constant stream of suitors, and I had more than a few myself despite being so young. Now, we are held in high esteem and have all that gold to our name as well. Of course I have a lot of suitors."

"You can't just tell them you'll make it clear if you are interested in someone?"

"I can't believe you're telling me this." Ori crossed his arms over his chest, lifting an eyebrow at Fíli. "Do you really think I haven't noticed all the older nobles practically throwing their offspring at you, regardless of whether either of you is interested? At least most of my suitors are doing so of their own volition."

"That's quite different and you know it." Fíli took the document on top of the pile Ori had brought, mostly to escape Ori's sharp eyes. "I'm the crown prince. That sort of thing is all about politics, and will continue to happen until I pick one of them or a candidate of my own to bear my braids. And since I am quite content in my life and in no hurry to go looking for my One, I don't foresee things changing anytime soon."

"Are you not interested in love, then?" Ori huffed, though judging by the fact he picked up another one of the documents Fíli was going to go ahead and assume it was directed at the paperwork and not him. "Or simply not yet?"

"I'm not sure." Fíli shrugged. "I used to think I would go looking one day, and I do know I don't want to marry someone purely for politics. But now… well. I don't have any hurry, and I'm content with the people in my life now."

"I see." Ori was quiet for a moment as they both went through the paperwork. When he spoke up, it was sudden enough that Fíli very nearly put his stamp on the wrong spot. "So, would you be opposed to marrying me?"

"What?" Fíli looked up, startled.

"I think you heard me." Ori was looking at him with perfect calmness. "It would solve both of our troubles with unwanted suitors. Now, my family hardly has a strong tradition for marriage, but I don't think it would be terrible at all to make an exception for you. Rather, I think it would be quite agreeable. So, unless there is someone else you would rather tie your life to, marrying each other seems like an excellent solution."

"It's not quite that simple, though." It couldn't be. Right? "If I were just another dwarf, then maybe. But I'm the crown prince, and one day the king. My spouse will also have duties of their own, duties you wouldn't have to worry about if you were to marry anyone else."

"And you don't think I am aware?" Ori looked almost amused by the idea. "Balin is grooming me to become his successor, I speak with Bilbo over tea, and I have free access to the royal records. I dare say I probably know more about the duties of the royal consort, public or private, than you do."

"Ah." Well, now Fíli felt his cheeks heating up. "That is… I hadn't thought of it like that."

"Yes, I rather figured you hadn't." Oh, definitely amused now.

"It's just… Thorin spoke to me recently. About how I should choose my spouse, or, if I did not want one, my Comfort."

"As he well should have." Ori nodded. "Despite my words, I know it's not a decision to be made lightly."

"Indeed it is not." So why did he suddenly feel so decisive? "Ori… to tell the truth, when Thorin was speaking of the type of person I should choose… I found myself thinking of you."

The amusement faded as Ori seemed startled instead. "Really?"

"Really." Fíli nodded firmly. "I know I can count on your support, and that you aren't afraid to correct me if I'm about to go wrong. You are everything I could wish for in my Comfort, and I can't say I would be displeased to call you my spouse, either. You are smart and pretty and brave, and any dwarf would be lucky to call you theirs, myself included."

"So… are you agreeing, then?" Which seemed like a redundant question, but then, Fíli figured he couldn't blame Ori for wanting to make sure. This was a rather big thing to go ahead assuming, after all.

"On two conditions." Because now that he was thinking about it, the matter might have been simple, but not quite this simple. "One, you allow me to present you a proper courting gift. I know it wouldn't matter to either of us, but I would like to do this by the book, so nobody can tell us we weren't being proper."

Ori nodded. "And the other?"

"If anyone else tries to harass you, you will leave me something to break, too." Perhaps his smile was a bit bloodthirsty, but really, he doubted Ori was going to blame him.

"Deal." Ori's agreement sounded almost light in tone, and certainly easily given, yet somehow Fíli had no doubts about its sincerity. "We can figure out the details after we deal with all these papers."

"I would protest, but really, this just shows why you work so well for me." Fíli smiled. "Let's get to it, then."

He was certainly capable of planning a courting gift while going through documents, after all.


End file.
